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Cassandra Francis, president of Friends of the Parks, is less optimistic of her chances against Emanuel, who was the president's chief of staff until leaving in 2010 to run for mayor.

With talk that Emanuel and the foundation may have used a crisis to limit public opposition to the plans, Francis said it was likely both were in talks about the space 'for a long time.'

Emanuel has made the city's bid for the presidential library a central focus as he heads into the February 24 election trying to avoid a close race with upstart candidate Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia.

Designs: The University of Chicago submitted a proposal for the library that included two parcels the school does not own that are part of city parks in the South Side

Machine politics: The ties between Emanuel and President Obama have opponents of the plan worried that the city will steamroll any opposition to putting in the library on parks land

Support in Chicago's South Side, where the parks are located, has been weak for Emanuel amidst worries over education and crime, but could rebound with a presidential library in the neighborhood.

'It is essential that the president's library is here in the city of Chicago and not in New York, and I will do what is necessary ... to move heaven and earth to make this happen,' Emanuel said this week.

The park district board, which oversees the land in question, is headed by Bryan Traubert, who recused himself from the decision because his wife, Penny Pritzker, is US commerce secretary.

'Does anyone really think the park district won't do exactly what the mayor wants?' Delmarie Cobb, a Democratic political consultant and critic of Emanuel, said of the decision

'This is a slippery slope that none of us can go down because this is Chicago,' she added. 'And we all know how Chicago works.'